Three to Tango
by Akaru
Summary: After a falling out with her parents, Maiko spends a week in the Yuki residence. Perhaps a little meddling in her big brother’s love life is in order… what are sisters for, after all? (rating may change...nyaha)
1. Prologue: The falling out

Disclaimer: I'm sure we are all aware of the fact that I don not own Gravitation. Let's move along. (shoos)

Three to Tango

By Akaru

Prologue

Shuichi sighed happily. Life was good. He was sitting on the carpet in Yuki's living room, with a box of strawberry pocky and a CD with Nittle Grasper's newest single. Ryuichi Sakuma's powerful voice reverberated through the headphones, and Shuichi squealed as he hit a particularly impressive note.

"Sugoi! Sakuma-san is so cool. I wish I could sing like that!" Shuichi quieted down again to focus on the lyrics, memorizing them the instant they entered his ear. A notebook lay ignored on the floor in front of him—he was _supposed_ to be working on his own lyrics. But the blank notebook had long since been forgotten.

Through the heavy beat of the music, Shuichi could vaguely make out the sound of a door being unlocked and opened. The familiar sound dragged him from his music-induced reverie, and he leapt to his feet, leaving the CD player discarded on the floor as he raced to the door.

"YUKI! Yukiyukiyukiyuki…" Shuichi trailed off as he latched onto the first part of his lover's body that presented itself, which happened to be his right arm. The novelist glared down at him, and made a feeble attempt to shake Shuichi from his appendage.

"Oi, brat, let go. I have enough to carry as it is." Yuki grumbled.

"I don't wannaaa…" Shuichi whined, but he released the captive arm anyway. He took one of the bags of groceries from Yuki's hands, and headed toward the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, Yuki stepped through the living room and down the hall. Then he stopped, turning to glare at his lover. "I have work to do, so _don't_ bother me, brat." Yuki turned into his office and shut the door with a resounding slam.

Shuichi pouted, but he quickly recovered. Yuki was home, he still had a new Nittle Grasper release, and now he had more strawberry pocky. Life was still good.

Then of course, the phone rang.

The shrill yell of the house phone echoed in the spacious apartment. Shuichi stared at it a moment. It rang again.

"Answer the damn phone, you idiot!" Yuki bellowed from the office.

Shuichi scooped up the device holding it to his ear. "Moshi-moshi! Shindou Shuichi answering! La-li-ho!"

A strangled sob came over the receiver. Shuichi looked down at it confusedly. "Eh? Who is there? What's wrong?"

Thecaller responded once again with a couple of sniffs, followed by the ear-splitting wail.

"I HATE MOM AND DAD!"

"Maiko!" Shuichi exclaimed when he was able to return the receiver to his ear. He quickly switched it to the other ear, since that one was still buzzing. "What's the matter, little sis? Tell your aniki what's wrong."

And boy, did she. Twenty minutes later, Shuichi had a good idea of what had gone awry. At least, he thought he did.

"So…Mr. Student Body President broke up with you, and them mom wouldn't let you go to the store to get any ice cream?"

Maiko sniffed. "Every broken heart needs ice cream," she stated matter-of-factly.

"…and then Dad came in and lectured you about screaming at you mother, and so you _bit_ him…."

"And he GROUNDED me! Can you believe it?"

Shuichi blinked rapidly. And they called _him_ the family nutcase…

"Gee, I'm…sure sorry for you, Maiko, I--"

"You are?" Maiko interrupted, her voice hopeful.

"Of course I am. I'm your brother. I sure wish there was something I could do…"

"—you do? Really?" Maiko exclaimed again.

"Um…yes?" Shuichi responded, thoroughly flustered.

Maiko squealed. "I love you, big brother! I'll be right over!"

"Oh, um….you will?" Shuichi's head spun. She'll be right over where? Unfortunately, the dial tone didn't relay any further information.

Wait… was Maiko on her way over _here?_ Uh oh, she should probably go tell Yuki. He walked down the hall and tapped on the office door.

"I _told_ you not to bother me, idiot! Go away!"

"Demo….Yuki…."

The door flew open, and an irate Yuki glared down at him. "Listen, brat. I have a deadline to make, and if I get interrupted ONE more time before I _finish _this chapter, they'll find your body tethered to a rock in the middle of the goddamn ocean!" The door closed again.

"O-okay…" As dense as Shuichi was, he got the message.

Oh, dear. If Maiko was coming here, she would want to see Yuki. And then she would make noise, and noise would disrupt Yuki, and Yuki would turn Shuichi into fish food.

"I'm going to have to get Maiko out of here..."

* * *

Shuichi sat on the sofa, slowly nibbling at the corner of his fingernail. He glanced toward the door, then to Yuki's office, then back to the door again. 

After what seemed to be hours, a knock finally came at the door. Shuichi bolted for the door, hoping Yuki hadn't heard. He listened a moment, and when nothing stirred in Yuki's office, he released the breath of air he realized he had been holding. Okay, maybe he was being a little silly…

Shuichi opened the door and was immediately pulled into his sister's embrace. "Hi there, cutie-pie! I haven't seen you in so long! Oh, I've missed you—where is he?"

Shuichi blinked. "Where is…?"

Maiko rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Yuki-san! Who else?" She peered anxiously over Shuichi's shoulder. "Where is Eiri Yuki-san?"

Shuichi gulped. "Ano, Maiko, we can't bother Yuki right now. He's very busy working on his latest novel."

"But-"

"You want his novel to come out on time, don't you?" Shuichi asked. Maiko nodded, but still glanced uncertainly over his shoulder. "Um, how about this. Let's go over to Hiro's for a little while, and then you can meet Yuki in—well, in the morning," Shuichi said, noting that Maiko had a bag with her. She apparently was intending to stay. "And I'll get you the very first copy of Yuki's new novel the instant it's in print."

That had Maiko's interest. "Okay!" She chirped, dropping the bag by the couch and skipping toward the door. "Let's go, Shu-chan!" Maiko then proceeded to drag Shuichi from the apartment.

Yuki emerged from the office a moment later, needing a refill on his coffee. He glanced around the living room, finding it strangely devoid of noise and…pink.

"Shuichi?" He stepped further into the living room after procuring the aforementioned caffeine. Sure enough, his little lover was nowhere to be seen.

However, an unfamiliar blue bag was positioned at the end of the couch. He stared at the object a moment, wondering why he didn't recognize it. Then he shrugged, and decided it was probably just Shuichi's. And with that, he threw the object into the pile of Shuichi's possessions, and headed back into his office.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when the two siblings once again stumbled into the living room of the Yuki residence. Shuichi was sure to quickly shush Maiko, lest she make any noise that would rouse Yuki, who was surely asleep. 

"Where is my bag?" Maiko asked, glancing around. "Oh, here it is. Did you move it?" Maiko scooped up the handles of her blue duffel.

Shuichi shook his head. "I didn't touch it. Yuki must have moved it."

Maiko dropped it immediately, her eyes wide. "Y-you mean Eiri Yuki-san touched _my_ bag…with his hand…and…and ..." Maiko nearly squealed but remembered to keep quiet. Shuichi simply rolled his eyes at his sister's fangirl antics.

Maiko knelt by the couch as she rifled through her belongings. "Since I'm pretty sure you don't have a guest room, I'll just sleep here on the couch." She smiled up at her brother.

It then dawned on Shuichi that they didn't really have room for a third resident, seeing as Shuichi generally slept on the sofa himself. "But—" he started, but trailed off. Maybe that wasn't the sort of thing to tell his sister. He bit his lip.

Maiko got up and squeezed her brother in a hug. "Don't worry about me, Shuichi. I'll be fine sleeping on the couch," she assured him, unaware that she has misunderstood his concern. Maiko then promptly curled up onto said sofa, snuggling beneath Shuichi's blankets warmly. "Thank you for letting me come see you, Shuichi," she murmured sleepily. "…missed you…" she trailed off as her breathing became even and gentle, a sure sign that she had fallen asleep.

Shuichi couldn't help but smile. Who was he to be upset when his only sister had come all this way just to visit him? He could give up his sofa for a night.

Shuichi pulled a spare blanket from the linen closet and padded down the hallway. He peeked into the bedroom where Yuki lay sleeping as well. Then he slipped into the office, wondering how he intended to explain all of this to Yuki in the morning.

* * *

Nyaha. Please review, and I promise the next chapters will be longer. Prologues are allowed to be short, ne? 

And please let me know if I use any Japanese terminology you don't understand, and I'll include a translation. My Japanese is meager at best, and I generally only use common terms, but I still manage to confuse people on an occasion.

I'd also like to thank the readers who reviewed my recently released one-shot, _Wherever You Go._ Thanks, everyone, for your support!

Akaru-


	2. 1: NG Records

Words from the authoress:

Haha. Hey, everybody! Thanks for coming back to read chapter two! I've really happy to finally be writing this story. I just love breathing a little life into the less-used characters—there's so much opportunity. Who knows—maybe Maiko will even get a little romance in this story.

While I've read all but the last book of the manga series, I have only seen the first DVD of the anime—therefore, I'm not even sure if Maiko makes an appearance. So as far as description, I'm not sure what Maiko look like—I've only seen her in black and white. So I hope you don't mind if I take a few liberties with her description.

And thanks to all my reviewers! You guys sure know how to give an amateur writer a much-needed ego boost.

So, if you actually took the time to read that, I congratulate you—if you can withstand my incoherent babble you can survive anything—even K-san. If you skipped down to here, good for you. This should be more interesting anyway. On with the story!

Three to Tango

By Akaru

Chapter One

Yuki sighed contentedly as the morning light filtered through the open window. A gentle breeze caused the crisp muslin curtains to sway stiffly. Yuki smiled contentedly as his eyes fluttered open. He had slept well that night, despite the mysterious disappearance of his little lover.

Yuki looked up as his vision came into focus, and he found himself staring into a familiar pair of violet eyes. They twinkled vibrantly with such loving adoration. Yuki smirked as he met those eyes with a coy glance of his own. "G'morning," he mumbled sleepily.

"Good morning, Yuki-san." The violet eyes lit up happily.

Yuki's smirk grew as he brushed an errant lock of hair from his lover's face. The honey blonde curl slipped silkily from his fingers as he—

Wait… blonde?

Yuki bolted upright in bed, his eyes roving frantically over the person he had mistaken for his lover. The young girl who strangely had his Shuichi's eyes was perched beside him on the bed, hovering closely over his face with a giddy smile. She giggled cutely as she brushed the long hair from her face and continued to stare intently. Yuki, in return, did the only thing he could think of.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Yuki yelled hysterically. Immediately following was the pounding of footsteps as Shuichi burst into the room.

"Yuki! What happened?" Shuichi skidded to a stop as he saw the girl on Yuki's bed. "Maiko! What are you doing? Get down from there this instant!"

Maiko pouted but complied. Yuki shuffled off of the bed, left unstable by his shock. He turned his glare to Shuichi and his female. . .doppelganger. "You know this psycho, Shuichi?"

"I-I can explain everything, Yuki—well, except why she was in here in the first place," He turned a glare of his own to his sister, who shrank back with a sheepish smile. "This is my sister Maiko."

"I… see." Yuki grunted. "Tell me all about it over breakfast, Both of you, out, so I can put some clothes on."

"…and she just showed up last night, Yuki, and I didn't want to bother you while you were working." Shuichi concluded his retelling of the previous night's events. "We went over to Hiro's for a while, but he had his girlfriend over and didn't have room for Maiko. So I let her stay here for a night." Shuichi bowed his head. "Gomen, Yuki. I hope you're not too mad."

Yuki looked pensively at his lover a moment "Well, at least you didn't interrupt my writing," he commented in a rare moment of understanding. He looked back as the younger Shindou. "Do your parents know where you are?"

Maiko looked sheepish, but she smiled. "Well…. They do now. Mom was pretty upset that I had run off, but when I mentioned that I was spending time with Shuichi she was okay with it. She even said I could stay with you for a week!" Maiko said happily.

Shuichi balked. "Um, Maiko, is that such a good idea? I mean…" He glanced between Maiko and Yuki nervously before deciding on the safest way to speak. "I mean, shouldn't you be asking Yuki before you announce that you're staying in his apartment for a whole week?"

Maiko tilted her head. "Oh yeah!" She giggled and turned to the novelist. "Is it all right with you, Yuki-san?"

"Well…" Yuki paused uncertainly.

Maiko dawned a girlish pout, bringing a few tears to her eyes for an added effect. Inwardly, she smirked. Who could resist this look? "I never get to spend any time with my beloved brother anymore," she sniffed. "Pleeease? I'd really appreciate it."

Yuki knew he was perfectly capable of resisting the girl's childish flirts. He had walked away unscathed from some of the most determined and clever temptresses Japan had to offer. So why had he chosen that exact moment to compare the younger Shindou to his pink haired lover? It seemed all his brain was capable of in the spur of the moment was to muse how much the girl resembled his Shuichi—what with that adorable mouth of full pink lips, that cute pert nose and the slight rosy flush over her cheeks, not to mention those gorgeous violet eyes… hey, even the Great Eiri Yuki could be a shmuck once in a while.

Maiko squealed gleefully and Shuichi stared as if his lover had grown another head when Yuki answered, "Well, I suppose we could set up a spare futon in the living room."

* * *

Maiko trotted happily alongside Shuichi, chattering questions toward her older brother. Things like… what type of tea did Yuki drink? What type of toilet paper did Yuki buy? Did Yuki wear boxers or briefs? Did Yuki prefer white or dark chocolate? … and all of the things that are important to teenage girls. 

Shuichi yawned sleepily as he trudged in the general direction of NG Records. In truth, the only place he much wanted to go was back to bed. The morning had been exhausting, chasing his sister around the apartment, keeping her out of Yuki's office, Yuki's bedroom, Yuki's shower, Yuki's closet, Yuki's car…

Which explained why Maiko was accompanying him to work today. Shuichi did quite trust Maiko to leave Yuki alone. Of course, not that Yuki had noticed. The older man had been oblivious to the girl's assault on his apartment all morning. By the time Shuichi dragged his sister from the apartment, he had locked himself in his office as always.

"Wow…" Maiko stared up breathlessly, dragging Shuichi from his reverie. He realized they had arrived at NG Records—an impressively tall building with huge glass windows. Even from here he could see the massive planes of glass separating Seguchi's office from the lovely horizon of Tokyo.

"You _work_ here?" Maiko asked, awestruck, as they stepped through the sliding glass doors into the marble hallway. Their footsteps echoed through the silent expanse of stone.

Shuichi just shrugged, not seeing what was so impressive about the oversized brownstone monstrosity. "This is the NG studios—come on, this way." Shuichi led Maiko to the elevator, which slid open immediately. Shuichi punched in the number for Bad Luck's floor, and the elevator glided upward soundlessly before it deposited them in yet another marble hall.

Thick planes of glass granted a view into a few of the recording boxes, and Maiko took a moment to peer through each one. But what truly grabbed her attention was the row of gold and platinum records lined up along the wall. Maiko stared at each of them intently as they made their way through the hall. "There sure are a lot of these albums dedicated to Nittle Grasper, Shuichi."

Shuichi threw an indulgent smile over his shoulder. "Well, of course. They're only legends. Not to mention the boss's band." He glanced over his shoulder, only to find he had left Maiko a good ten paces behind him, where she was staring with rapt attention at one of the platinum albums.

"Shuichi… this is… Bad Luck."

Shuichi nodded. "That was Gravity. Hiro and I were so excited when he finally hit a million sales." Shuichi decided not to mention that the real reason for their excitement was that it had resulted in a date for both of them. "Come on, now. We're late as it is."

Maiko sighed for the umpteenth time as she strolled the same hallway she had strolled for an hour. She had been enraptured by the place when they arrived, but now Shuichi was too busy to hang out with her, and had forbidden her from roaming the building freely.

Maiko huffed. Well, what did he expect her to _do?_ She re-entered the studio designated to her brother's band quietly, and was relieved to see that Hiro, at least, had finally emerged from the soundproofed glass recording enclosure. He now stood, watching as Shuichi went over his vocals once more.

"Hi, Hiro!" She kept her voice down, but was unable to contain her excitement. At last, someone to _talk_ to!

Hiro turned. "Oh, hey, little Shindou sis." He watched as Maiko came up to stand beside him "What's wrong?"

Maiko shook her head. "Nothing, I'm just boooored." She accompanied the sentiment with a dull look. "There's nothing to do here."

Hiro grinned. "The break room's down at the end of the hall. They've got magazines and free coffee there. Maybe something edible, too."

Maiko left Hiro once again. Time to go explore the break room.

The break room proved to be rather unexciting. She helped herself to the pot of coffee and a brownie from a platter on the table, and glanced around. Aside from a few magazines, a small television and the strange presence of numerous board games and crayons, there wasn't much to the place. The walls held a couple of band posters, and a few absurd crayon doodles in one corner. Maiko settled down at the table and snatched up another brownie, clicking on the TV.

She clicked through a few uninteresting channels. Game show, soap, another soap, cartoon, televangelist, another soap, music videos—no one interesting—reality show, another soap. Maiko chucked her empty paper coffee cup at the TV and got up to retrieve a new one.

She poured another cup of the bitter substance, taking her time in administering a liberal amount of sugar and cream. She blew softly over the liquid and watched the steam billow, before she put it to her lips and turned back to the table.

"Oh!" Maiko exclaimed, spilling a few slashes of the coffee on the floor by her shoes. Another person had somehow managed to enter the room without her knowing. Said person was now generously helping himself to the brownies. He glanced up, sharp blue eyes focusing intently on her a moment, before he broke out with a goofy grin.

"Hello! Na no na no da!" The stranger proclaimed.

Maiko narrowed her eyes. Where had she seen this person before? He must be a musician. He was…

Maiko's mind shifted to the countless posters smothering the wall of Shuichi's bedroom at home. Each of them had his face on it, so that made him the lead singer of Nittle Grasper. He was…

"Ryuichi… Sakuma-san… right?"

The smiling man popped up in front of Maiko face, causing her to step back. "Hi there, Shu-chan. Whatcha doin'? What did you do to your hair? Why are ya dressed like that—oh, for a video, right? I had to dress like a girl for a video once, too. That was in the United States. Have you ever—"

"Whoa, slow down there." Maiko interrupted with a laugh. "I'm not Shuichi. I'm Maiko, Shuichi's sister."

Ryuichi paused a moment, studying the girl's face. "Hey!" he shouted with sudden epiphany. "You're not Shuichi!"

Maiko reared back, baffled. "That's what I just said."

"Are you a musician here?"

"Maiko shook her head. "Not hardly. I'm just visiting my brother."

"Who's your brother?"

"Shuichi Shindou. The person you mistook me for—somehow."

"Oh, you're Shuichi's little sister. What are you doing here?"

Maiko nearly fell to the floor. Didn't she just explain that? "I'm visiting my brother. I'm Maiko Shindou, and my brother is Shuichi Shindou. He's a singer here, not me," she reiterated. "Any more questions?"

"What are we talking about?"

Maiko leapt to her feet. "Are you even listening to me?" She shouted.

"I don't think so!"

Maiko stepped toward the childlike pop idol menacingly. "Why you, I oughta…."

"Aw, don't get mad, Shu-chan's little sister Maiko Shindou. Here, I'll even let you hold Kumagoro." Ryuichi shoved the pink rabbit into Maiko's arms.

Maiko was too shocked to refuse the bunny. Instead, she found herself cradling the worn bundle of pink fuzz. She looked over the stuffed rabbit, from the beady eyes to the floppy ears…was that a drool stain?

She looked up to find Ryuichi looking at her sharply. "How rude. You haven't said hello to Kuma-san."

Maiko blinked. "Um…he never said hello to me, either…"

"He didn't!" Ryuichi pounced. "Kuma-san! Remember your manners!" He paused a moment, glaring at the rabbit, then he smiled brilliantly. "There, that's much better." He looked at Maiko expectantly.

"Oh, um, nice to meet you…Kuma-san." Maiko looked up at the man for confirmation.

"Yay!" Ryuichi exploded again. "Now Maiko-chan and Kuma-chan are bestest friends! And Ryu too!" He glomped onto Maiko, who yelped and nearly dropped Kumagoro. "Come on, let's go see if Shu-chan or K want to play!"

Before Maiko had a chance to respond, Ryuichi had seized her hand was already tugging her down the hall.

* * *

Tohma Seguchi scrutinized the situation in the hallway carefully. His childish friend was currently tormenting another poor soul—one that looked surprisingly similar to Bad Luck's vocalist. He was currently dragging the young female down the hall towards Bad Luck's studio. 

"Ryuichi," he intervened, partly out of curiosity and partly out of pity for the young woman. "…what are you doing?"

"Ah, Tohma! Whatcha doin? Na no da!"

"Mind if I ask who this is?" Tohma crossed his arms, and Maiko shrank back despite his seemingly pleasant smile.

"This is Shuichi's-little-sister-Maiko-Shindou! She's our new friend!"

"Oh, I see. Are you here visiting Shuichi?"

Maiko could only nod.

"Well, I believe Shuichi is busy at work at the moment. And Ryuichi, you should be getting back to your studio, too." Ryuichi responded with an 'aw' and quickly disappeared down the hall. "Now then," Seguchi turned his smile back toward Maiko. "What do you say to a tour of NG Records, Miss Shindou?"

Maiko gulped audibly and nodded. As she followed Tohma to the elevator, she wondered why she had an ominous feeling about this…

* * *

"Dammit!" Taki Aizawa slammed his fist against the table in the break room. Immediately Ma-kun and Ken-kun ran in. 

"What's wrong, Taki?" Ma-kun asked breathlessly.

Taki turned a murderous glare towards his two coworkers. "Someone ate all my damn brownies!"

TBC….

AN: Nyaha. I want brownies now.


	3. 2: Mystery in the air

Author's note: I extend my thanks to **Regina** who was kind enough to inform me that Maiko is in fact a brunette in the anime. So, I'll be referring to her as such from now on and will correct the early chapters too. (smooches) Sankyuu!

Three to Tango

By Akaru

Chapter two: Mystery in the air

"I'll see everybody later, okay?" Shuichi shouted as he trotted to the door of the recording studio. Suguru nodded before turning back to his keyboard, and K-san waved his pistol in the air genially.

"See you _on time_ tomorrow morning, right?"

"R-right," Shuichi responded as Hiro threw him his sweatshirt.

"Tell the little Shindou I said 'see ya'."

Shuichi nodded as he shrugged the bright green sweatshirt on. He shut the door and stepped out into the hallway, before promptly tripping over something just beyond the door and falling flat on his face.

Shuichi looked back, and studied the oddly-shaped obstruction just beyond his feet. "Shuichiiii, can't you watch where you're going?" the huddled mass moaned piteously.

"Maiko? What are you doing? Why are you sitting out here on the floor?" Shuichi pushed himself into a sitting position and turned to face Maiko, who immediately catapulted herself into Shuichi's arms.

"Oniii-san…" She murmured into Shuichi's sweatshirt. "Scary…."

"Eh?" Shuichi looked down at his sister's brown curls. "What's the matter?"

"Well, hello there, Shuichi." A familiar voice resonated down the hall, and Shuichi glanced up to see Seguchi strolling toward them. Maiko snuggled further into the folds of Shuichi's shirt.

"And Miss Shindou. It was my pleasure to make your aquaintance. I hope you enjoyed your tour of NG records."

Shuichi prodded Maiko with a finger, and she managed to look up and nod. Barely.

Seguchi smiled politely and Maiko shrunk back again. "You'll come to visit again, yes? Shuichi, you'll have to let me know when this simply charming young lady will be back." He nodded to both Shindous, and then he turned and continued down the hall. "Have a nice day, both of you."

Maiko shivered.

"What…" Shuichi began, staring incredulously at his sister. Sure, Seguchi could be intimidating, but this was just a little over the top. What exactly had happened during that aforementioned tour?

"L-let's go, Shuichi…" Maiko clutched her brother's hand in a vice-like grip as she all but dragged him to the exit.

'…_The hell?'_

* * *

Yuki braced himself as the ominous sound of the door opening echoed through the quiet apartment. Any second now, his little lover would come flying through the expanse of the spacious abode with inhuman alacrity, to launch himself at the petulant novelist and chatter his ear off. 

However, Yuki did not see any flashes of pink as he stared intently at the door. Nor did he hear any loud shouts or shrieks, nor even the pounding of heavy footsteps down the hall.

Yuki could actually hear the clock tick, and he wondered if he had imagined the sound of the door. No…there _was_ someone in the house, talking…not loudly, nor to him.

Something was terribly wrong with this picture.

Suddenly, unreasonably irritated, Yuki left his laptop and stomped out into the living room, where he finally spotted the familiar head of pink. "Oi, brat," he said, glaring.

Shuichi didn't seem to hear, and it was apparent why. Beside him the petite brunette was chattering away about her day at NG. "…and then this bouncy guy came in and ate brownies with me and it was Ryuichi Sakuma, and we talked, and then we went to go find you but then…"

Yuki glared. He didn't think there was anyone who talked more than Shuichi, but he had just been proved wrong. He cleared his throat loudly, causing the singer to leap to his feet and whirl around. "Aa, Yuki. I didn't know you were there."

"Obviously. I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes now." Yuki exaggerated grumpily.

"Sorry," Shuichi said sheepishly. "Maiko-chan was just telling me about her day."

"I noticed. I'm sure it was very exciting." Luckily, neither of them noticed the sarcasm. "Well, I'll be in the kitchen preparing dinner if anyone needs me." He started to head off, slightly miffed.

That was until Maiko leapt to her feet. "Hey! Why don't I take care of dinner?" She caught Yuki's look of terror and grinned. "Don't worry, I can cook much better that Shuichi can." Without waiting for a response, Maiko skipped past Yuki into the kitchen and immediately began rifling through the cupboards.

"Hey, I'll come sit in the kitchen so you can finish telling me about your NG tour, Maiko." Yuki could only blink as Shuichi, too, passed Yuki into the kitchen, leaving the bewildered novelist in the living room, ignored.

Generally, Yuki was happy to distract the brat so he could work, but this…this just burned. "Fine, I'll be in my office," he snapped moodily and stormed off.

* * *

"Shuichi?" Maiko asked tentatively as she filleted a fish for dinner. Shuichi was sprawled near the doorway, doodling in some notebook of his. He looked up at the peculiar tone Maiko's voice carried. It was akin to the one he had heard when Seguchi had met them in the hall. His curiosity about what exactly had happened with Tohma re-emerged with full force. 

"What is it, Maiko?"

Maiko stared forward for a moment, her face grim, as the knife stilled. "H-have you ever heard of a band called Star Dust?"

Shuichi thought hard. He did recall a band with that name, though only vaguely. If memory served him, the band had shown up on the J-rock scene some six years ago, shortly after Tohma-san had launched NG records, yet a good year or two prior to the break-up of Nittle Grasper. He recalled that they were wildly popular—almost rivaling Nittle Grasper at their peak. "Yes, I remember them. They were Nittle Grasper's competition a while back." He shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…do you know what happened to them?" Maiko asked quietly, ignoring Shuichi's question.

Shuichi tilted his head, taken slightly aback. Why the sudden interest in a band that hadn't hit the airways in years? "I don't know. They just stopped making music. They probably broke up."

"But you don't know for sure?"

"No, Maiko. I don't. Now, what is this all about?" Shuichi asked exasperatedly.

"D-do you think their disappearance has anything to do with the broom closet across from Seguchi-san's office?"

Shuichi's eyes widened. "What? Maiko, you're not making any sense. What does a closet have to do with Star Dust breaking up? Get to the point, Maiko!"

"B-but, the closet has a padlock on it, and…and Seguchi-san, he…" Maiko shivered "He mentioned something about a meat grinder and a stiletto heel…."

Shuichi decided at that point that he really didn't care to know.

(Me either.)

* * *

Despite the ominous conversation during preparation, dinner was particularly jovial. Well, at least on the side of the table that the Shindou siblings sat on, chattering away as always. Yuki had given up on getting a word in edgewise after two minutes. Instead he stabbed irritably at his fish and vegetables with a scowl on his face. 

"Ne, Yuki? Yuki?" Shuichi leaned toward the novelist, his face filled with concern. "What's the matter? Is something wrong with your fish?"

Yuki glanced up. "No, nothing's wrong. The fish is fine." He picked up a bite of the fish and popped it into his mouth for good measure.

Shuichi smiled. "I'm glad. Maiko is an excellent cook, isn't she?"

Maiko smiled and blushed. "I try my best."

"Ne, ne, Maiko _is_ the best! Nobody cooks better than you, Maiko!" Shuichi exclaimed.

Yuki glared at this last remark.

"Oh, stop, Shuichi! You're making me blush!"

"But it's true." Shuichi nodded eagerly.

"Are you trying to—"

Yuki cleared his throat loudly, cutting off the younger of two Shindous. "So Shuichi, do you have any plans for tonight?"

"Um…" He glanced at Maiko, who shook her head. "I don't think so."

"I was thinking that we could—"

Maiko piped up, interrupting Yuki. "I know! Let's rent some movies."

"That's a good idea!" Shuichi agreed.

"All right then! Let's go!" Maiko exclaimed. "Just let me get my coat."

"I'll grab my wallet."

With that, the Shindou brother and sister disappeared into other rooms of the apartment, leaving Yuki alone at the dining room table.

"…play some card games," he muttered to the empty seats.

His only response was the click of the front door.

* * *

Poor Yuki! Nyaha. He seems a little OOC in this chapter…competition can do that. 

Still, who expected Yuki to get jealous?

And yes, I'm aware that Ryuichi and Tohma's…quirks… are grossly exaggerated. I assure you this is intentional. Also, that it does not represent any personal sentiments toward either character, (Ryu-fan that I am… ) and that it is for the sake of comedy alone.

Is Tohma really hiding the bodies of his competitors in the broom closet? No, he was just playing with Maiko's mind. (As Tohma is apt to do. )

Thanks for reading!


	4. 3: An unexpected visitor

Three to Tango

By Akaru

Chapter three: An unexpected visitor

Yuki's gold eyes widened as he stared at the array of DVDs spread across the coffee table. An action movie, a pair of horror flicks, three dramas—two of them based on Eiri Yuki novels…a romantic comedy, and a Nittle Grasper concert.

"Why don't you pick the first one, Yuki?" Shuichi offered happily.

Yuki analyzed the colorful cases before selecting the action film, deeming it the least of numerous evils. He popped the disc into the player and clicked on the television, settling into a corner of the couch. Shuichi immediately occupied the spot to his side, and Maiko curled up beside her brother.

"Anyone talks, and I'm shutting the movie off and…going to bed," Yuki grumbled as he barely prevented himself from threatening Shuichi with another discharge from the apartment. He wasn't quite sure why he wanted to put on a good front for the girl.

The movie went through the previews and eventually Maiko got up and headed for the kitchen. The boys waited a moment before Shuichi called out. "What'cha doing, Maiko?"

"Do you have any popcorn?" Maiko responded.

"It should be in the third cupboard by the refrigerator," Yuki called back when it became apparent that Shuichi didn't know.

"Thank you!"

The movie started just as the corn started popping. "Hurry up, Maiko!" Shuichi called out jovially.

"I'm coming. Where's the butter?"

"It's in the door of the fridge." Yuki responded when it once again became apparent that Shuichi had no clue.

"Thank you!"

Maiko returned with a bowl of popcorn, which she sat on the table before reseating herself. "Aw, I missed the beginning," she whined.

"We can go back, can't we, Yuki?" Shuichi scooped up the remote and began pushing buttons.

"Shuichi, why don't you let me do it?" Yuki held his hand out for the remote.

"I got it….I think…." At that moment the TV went black. "Um, oops?"

"Give it here, idiot."

"I can fix it!" Shuichi resumed the pressing of random buttons.

The TV did many tricks—some of which the older man and the younger girl had never seen before. It went fuzzy, it went black, it went blue, it went to some random spot in the movie, revealing a big explosion, before fizzling back into darkness. It got up and danced an Irish jig.

"Just give me the remote, idiot!" Yuki barked, snatching the object from Shuichi's fingers. By now the television was flipping randomly through channels and emitting thin puffs of smoke.

It took a moment to undo the damage Shuichi had done, but eventually Yuki managed to get the DVD back to the beginning of the movie and the trio settled in comfortably to watch the show.

An hour later, Yuki was still sitting on the sofa, watching the movie, much as he had when the movie had begun. Shuichi had curled up at his side and was sleeping soundlessly, and just beyond him Maiko was bawling her eyes out, sniffling and shredding a tissue, littering the odds and ends on the floor, which of course made Yuki scowl.

After a moment Yuki decided to speak up. "What is so upsetting, Maiko-san?" he asked as affably as he could manage through his irritation. His tone still came out rather clipped, but Maiko didn't seem to notice.

"It's…so sad…." Maiko sniffed in response.

Yuki blinked, looked to the television, then back to the girl. "It's a car chase," he stated incredulously.

"I know, but…but that car just burst into flames, and…." Maiko trailed off as she sobbed loudly.

Yuki nodded. "I understand, but that was the antagonist."

Maiko looked at Yuki as if he had grown another head. "But Yuki! Don't you see? That was a _Maserati!"_

Yuki smirked, having a new-found respect for the girl. Then the doorbell rang.

Yuki weighed his options. He could answer the door. Or he could ignore it, which seemed the likelier decision. It most likely wasn't anyone he wanted to talk to anyway. Maybe a door-to-door salesman, more likely his editor or a family member, such as Mika or Tatsuha. And with Shuichi curled up on his shoulder, he couldn't move without disturbing the boy's slumber. He so loathed waking the boy at that moment….

Then he looked up as he heard humming and noticed that Maiko had risen and was heading towards the door. _Oh, dear,_ Yuki mused, wondering how Mika or Tohma would react to Maiko's seemingly familiar presence in the apartment. However he supposed his family and Shuichi's would have to become acquainted eventually, and for that reason he made no move to hinder Maiko's descent upon their visitor.

"Mmrph," Shuichi muttered sleepily, sliding down Yuki's shoulder.

Maiko opened the door of the apartment, and looked up as the new arrival looked down. Then both spoke in synchronicity; "Who are you?"

Maiko's eyes widened at the voice alongside hers. "Wow! You sound _just_ like Yuki-san! Say something again!" she squealed.

Tatsuha stepped back in bewilderment. He eyed the unfamiliar person awkwardly until he caught sight of her eyes, then he relaxed considerably. "Is that you, Shuichi? What are you doing, cross-dressing? Or is this some cover to get past your fans? I admit it's a bit more ingenious than your usual disguises…" He trailed off as 'Shuichi' pouted.

"Why does everyone mistake me for Shuichi? I'd understand if we were identical, but we don't even look alike." Maiko said sadly.

Tatsuha gulped at his faux pas. "Um, I apologize. It's just…this sort of thing isn't exactly beyond Shuichi, really…" he cleared his throat. "Anyway," he began again as he stepped past Maiko into the apartment, following the sound of the TV toward the living room. "Who are you, if not Shuichi?"

Maiko trotted after him. "Maiko. I'm Maiko Shindou."

Tatsuha paused. "You are related to Shuichi, then. That explains the resemblance."

Maiko nodded. "I'm his sister. Who are you, now?"

"Tatsuha Uesugi. Eiri's brother." Tatsuha smiled winningly.

"You look more like Yuki-san than I look like Shuichi," Maiko giggled. She ran forward and poked her head into the living room. "You have a visitor, Yuki-san. It's your brother."

Yuki scowled irritably. "I heard. Go distract him for me while I make an escape, okay?" He quickly shifted Shuichi to the couch and stood up. Shuichi murmured in protest at the sudden movement, slowly returning to consiousness.

Maiko tilted her head curiously, then turned back around. "They're in here, Tatsuha-san."

Tatsuha stepped into the living room as Shuichi pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Is it morning yet?" he muttered. Tatsuha's eyes glazed over.

Yuki cursed. He hadn't realized that his quick dumping of his lover might have awoken him; nor than anyone else might share his sentiment that Shuichi was positively scrumptious when still half asleep. While normally he wouldn't have worried about his brother and his lover, Shuich's uncanny resemblance to one pop legend tended to result in a bit of unpredictability on Tatsuha's part. For Shuichi's sake, Yuki reluctantly emerged from behind the television in time to see Tatsuha taking a seat near the oblivious singer.

"Touch him and die, Tatsuha." Yuki growled possessively

Tatsuha looked up and smiled. "There you are, Eiri. Fixing the television?"

"Something like that." Shuichi had at this point noticed Tatsuha's presence, and upon recalling the last time he had been left alone with Yuki's little brother, had shuffled over to the far end of the couch, leaving Yuki room to put himself between the two. Shuichi looked grateful and snuggled Yuki's arm, and Tatsuha just sighed. Maiko reclaimed a seat on the other side of Tatsuha.

"You guys are watching movies? Sounds like fun." Tatsuha decided to hang around for a little while. It wasn't as if that wasn't his plan in the first place. For once, he wasn't on a mission for Mika to harass his older brother. He was simply looking for something to do.

Yuki only grunted in response. Maiko sat up. "This movie is over. Let's pick another one."

Tatsuha eyed the movies still splayed across the coffee table before he spotted the Nittle Grasper DVD. "That one!" he shouted loudly.

"No." Yuki's voice told that he would accept no argument. Tatsuha pouted but turned back to the movies. Yuki sat up as well, and took the dramas from the table before Maiko could reach for any of them. If a action movie could make Maiko cry, a chick flick would give his apartment water damage.

Tatsuha selected a Stephen King horror, putting it in the DVD player. Yuki skipped through the previews as the foursome settled in to watch the movie. It was the one about the rabid dog. Yuki yawned.

The two Uesugi brothers lounged on the couch through the movie, chatting idly until Maiko shushed them. Almost halfway through, Yuki noticed how the younger Shindou was clutching Tatsuha's sleeve rather tightly. He smirked despite himself.

By then end of the movie, Shuichi was nodding off again, and Maiko was curled up in the other corner of the leather sofa. So Yuki escorted Tatsuha to the door, after reluctantly agreeing to let his visit again in a day or two. Then he stepped back into the living room. Maiko's futon had been set out in the living room, and Yuki easily scooped the sleeping girl into his arms and laid her out on the futon, pulling the covers up to her chin. Then he turned to his lover. "Shuichi."

Shuichi blinked, barely awake. "Mmm? What is it, Yuki?" he murmured sleepily.

"It's time for bed, brat."

Shuichi blinked confusedly. "…okay." He shrugged and laid back down on the couch. Yuki prodded him awake.

"In the bedroom tonight, idiot."

"Oh!" Shuichi clamored to his feet and followed Yuki down the hallway. Within moments the couple had shed their trappings and crawled beneath the covers. Yuki pulled his young lover into his arms, content to simply hold him a moment before he pulled Shuichi up and latched his mouth onto the boys' throat, pressing hungry lips just below his jaw and delighting in the feel of his pulse flitting against the smooth skin beneath Yuki's ministrations.

Shuichi moaned as sensual heat enveloped him. Then he clamped his hand over him mouth, eyes widening. He pressed his free hand against Yuki's chest, dislodging his lover.

"Yuki, stop! We can't!"

Yuki rolled off his lover, propping himself on one arm as he glared at that pink head. "What the hell's the matter?" he grumbled, not enjoying the interruption.

"We can't do this, Yuki! Maiko's out in the living room! What if she hears?" Shuichi babbled frantically.

Yuki growled. "So what? You actually think she doesn't know we're shagging like rabbits in here?" In fact Yuki was quite sure of the opposite. He had seen the gleam in that girl's eye, and would have bet she was outside the door listening at that very moment, if she was awake to hear at all.

"I-I know, but it's embarrassing." Shuichi whined. When Yuki seemed unaffected, he tried a different approach. "Think about it—what if it was Mika out there? Would you be comfortable knowing _she_ was listening in on your private life?"

Dammit, the brat had a point. Yuki shuddered at the thought of doing the sort of things he wanted to do to Shuichi in his older sister's presence. He scowled at having lost the argument. "What are you expecting me to do? Are you going to deprive me of sex while she's here?"

Shuichi smiled. "It's just a week, Yuki. You spend longer than that in New York."

Yuki's scowl deepened, then he just rolled over and sulked. "You're going to pay for this," he muttered before settling in to sleep.

"I love you, Yuki." Shuichi kissed Yuki'scheek softly before he drifted off himself.


End file.
